Water restored to 24 businesses at South Coast Plaza after pipeline break

Two dozen businesses at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa had water flowing again Tuesday morning after a pipeline break left them dry for more than a day, according to a Mesa Water District official.

Water was shut off for the 24 stores and restaurants after an underground valve broke around 2 a.m. Monday near the Anton Boulevard entrance of the shopping center.

Crews turned off the flow to make repairs and then worked around the clock to get water running again, water district spokeswoman Noelle Collins said.

The district had no estimate Tuesday morning of how much water was spilled during the break. It also is unclear what caused the valve to fail.

Before crews shut off the flow, water poured out of the broken valve for more than an hour, flooding a parking lot and part of Bristol Street, authorities said.